Absence because of pet death

ILW

ohreally wrote: »

You may find the opposite to be closer to the truth.

Many folks experiencing mental heath problems will mask the reason for fear of being stigmatised and ask the GP to record some other reason on a fitness to work cert.

i would suspect both situations are happening.

TrickyWicky

ILW wrote: »

Not saying everyone that gets signed off with depression is swinging the lead, but it does seem to be getting rather more common.

Are you surprised? People up and down the land have been loosing their jobs, hope, career prospects etc.

Are you really surprised that the depression figures are on the up?

ILW

Uncertain wrote: »

By the time somebody is qualified as a GP they will have completed at least ten years medical training. Have you?

A significant part of that is in mental health as it forms quite a part of their case load.

They would also have had the advantage of actually seeing the patient and having their records.

I would suspect they would have a far better idea than you as to whether somebody is ill.

You clearly know nothing about mental health issues if you think that somebody who is well and has Googled "depression symptoms" would be even vaguely convincing.

One of the reasons that "it does seem to be getting rather more common" is that there a greater understanding and slightly less stigma attached. However, reading some of the idiot posts on here from people like you that seems hard to believe.

You do not have to convince your GP, most will sign you off even if they are very suspicious. They cannot prove you do not have depression though.

moneypuddle

I agree. I had a really horrendous week at work last month, went to see my doctor about feeling run down and two minutes after meeting me she was all up for signing me off work for stress. I was surprised how easy it would be. (Nb. I told her I didn't actually want to be signed off and wasn't)

preciousillusions

& some of the responses in this thread show just why there is still such a stigma attached to admitting mental health issues in the workplace.

As she has been a 'model employee' in the past and clearly is not one to usually take advantage of time off (I do feel this is key, if she regularly took time off for 'illness' etc I would be skeptical), I would say that some understanding is required here. The death of her cat may have been the straw that broke the camels back. As has been said, this needs to be regarded as a mental health issue. It's not for anyone else to quantify how much or little she is 'allowed' to or should be upset by in this situation, we don't know the facts. She's been signed off, she has a clear history, something is clearly going on and i'd say she deserves some respect and compassion (as well as confidentiality, as tbh you have the suck note. Beyond that this is none of your & your other employees' business) until she manages to get on her feet again.

andygb

preciousillusions wrote: »

& some of the responses in this thread show just why there is still such a stigma attached to admitting mental health issues in the workplace.

As she has been a 'model employee' in the past and clearly is not one to usually take advantage of time off (I do feel this is key, if she regularly took time off for 'illness' etc I would be skeptical), I would say that some understanding is required here. The death of her cat may have been the straw that broke the camels back. As has been said, this needs to be regarded as a mental health issue. It's not for anyone else to quantify how much or little she is 'allowed' to or should be upset by in this situation, we don't know the facts. She's been signed off, she has a clear history, something is clearly going on and i'd say she deserves some respect and compassion (as well as confidentiality, as tbh you have the suck note. Beyond that this is none of your & your other employees' business) until she manages to get on her feet again.

I think that you are reading too much into this.
As others have pointed out, this is way OTT, far too excessive, and many of us go to work the day after losing a close family member.
We have relations who wallowed in grief for a couple of weeks when their dog died, they literally wound themselves into a state of hysterical grief.
I think that some people should come into the real World and see what conditions are like, because life is tough out there, and some of us would just like a job.

Witchfinder_General

Uncertain wrote: »

One of the reasons that "it does seem to be getting rather more common" is that there a greater understanding and slightly less stigma attached. However, reading some of the idiot posts on here from people like you that seems hard to believe.

My ar5se. It's the easiest excuse going. Personal opinion though, so don't get stressed.

Gate Guard in work was told he had to wear his cap, not his Beret. Visit to his Doc bagged him two weeks off for work related stress. His colleagues had their leave cancelled to cover his abscence.

Errata

If my manager immediately gave me 3 days paid sick leave if the cat died I think I'd think they'd lost the plot.

NeverEnough

andygb wrote: »

I think that you are reading too much into this.
As others have pointed out, this is way OTT, far too excessive, and many of us go to work the day after losing a close family member.
We have relations who wallowed in grief for a couple of weeks when their dog died, they literally wound themselves into a state of hysterical grief.
I think that some people should come into the real World and see what conditions are like, because life is tough out there, and some of us would just like a job.

Just because you would react differently does not mean that someone else is to be criticised for not reacting as you would. We are all individuals. Preciousillusions is quite correct.

There is such a thing as an extended bereavement reaction or adjustment disorder, which falls fairly and squarely in the realm of a mental illness like depression. Some people stay off work and get benefits for years and years because they "lost their father10 years ago" and are apparently still depressed about it. No-one seems to have a pop at them. The trauma of losing an animal which you have shared perhaps a third or more of your life with is not insignificant and no-one has the right to deride someone who is struggling to get over such a loss, least of all a bunch of eWarriors with lots of eCourage behind their anonymous forum logins.

ktothema

I don't think the manager gave 3 days sick leave, I think they gave 2.whatever days compassionate. Which is very generous but doesn't seem out of line with D70s company's ethos. The employee was subsequently signed off sick.

Others have said this but it seems like a final straw thing to me. People may think that's odd but it's not that uncommon. An ex colleague of mine was signed off with stress after being asked to redo some work as the person who'd requested it made a mistake. Fairly innocuous you'd think, but it was a final straw - the stress had been building and building and building for ages. He wasn't the generation that believed in stress either and tried to disagree with the dr.

The only thing that majorly concerns me is the 4 week phased return. It does sound like someone has mentioned this possibility and she's latched on it, and may confirm she's not thinking straight. I think someone may need to talk to her before her return, but maybe leave the timing down to her. Especially if she's been a model employee.